I'm watching the Peach Bowl replay from January against Michigan. I know we win this handily in the end, but I somehow remembered it more promising and reassuring overall a performance than this first half has in fact played out.
The part that concerns me the most really is Filipe's periodic reversion here and there to some of his most frustrating once-upon-a-time weaknesses. I know he has generally made great strides and improved in ALL areas, and I do expect that to only continue into and THROUGH 2019, BUT:
If he continues to "revert" too often, especially in his failures to throw "the touch pass" for TDs down in the red zone, OR properly choose and HIT the right reciever on the LONG one, well, Emory Jones I fear is (rightly, in the event) going to begin to more and more "chomp at the bit" at back up. It is clear that ideally, Mullen and his braintrust want Frank to step fully forward, come into his own and lead this offense to glory even as Jones patiently prepares for "his turn", meanwhile has his "packages" and is fully ready to take over as the season ends--SOONER if necessary.
What you DON'T want is if there begins to loom an argument that "maybe the wrong guy is under center"!
And, like I say, to avoid that Filipe has to BURY his old weaknesses and bad habits once and for all now. He has it in him to go out there, big, strong and fast with a cannon for an arm, and perform in Tebow-esque fashion. I know that even SAYING anything like that is like the kiss of death--but though a totally different personality, in size and skills he really does have that kind of TALENT--and then some. Mullen can, is in fact IN THE PROCESS OF bringing that out. If things were to play out right, with Frank and Jones we have at least the potential of one succeeding and passing the torch to the next: Approaching our "ascendance" this season, then completing it with a fully ready Jones in charge in 2020.
The part that concerns me the most really is Filipe's periodic reversion here and there to some of his most frustrating once-upon-a-time weaknesses. I know he has generally made great strides and improved in ALL areas, and I do expect that to only continue into and THROUGH 2019, BUT:
If he continues to "revert" too often, especially in his failures to throw "the touch pass" for TDs down in the red zone, OR properly choose and HIT the right reciever on the LONG one, well, Emory Jones I fear is (rightly, in the event) going to begin to more and more "chomp at the bit" at back up. It is clear that ideally, Mullen and his braintrust want Frank to step fully forward, come into his own and lead this offense to glory even as Jones patiently prepares for "his turn", meanwhile has his "packages" and is fully ready to take over as the season ends--SOONER if necessary.
What you DON'T want is if there begins to loom an argument that "maybe the wrong guy is under center"!
And, like I say, to avoid that Filipe has to BURY his old weaknesses and bad habits once and for all now. He has it in him to go out there, big, strong and fast with a cannon for an arm, and perform in Tebow-esque fashion. I know that even SAYING anything like that is like the kiss of death--but though a totally different personality, in size and skills he really does have that kind of TALENT--and then some. Mullen can, is in fact IN THE PROCESS OF bringing that out. If things were to play out right, with Frank and Jones we have at least the potential of one succeeding and passing the torch to the next: Approaching our "ascendance" this season, then completing it with a fully ready Jones in charge in 2020.